Since its inception, Shambhala Publications has specialized in books that present creative and conscious ways of transforming the individual, society, and the planet. With that in mind, we have launched an initiative to minimize our environmental impact through responsible choices in our book production process and day-to-day operations.

As a publisher, the biggest environmental challenge we face is in the amount of paper used to produce our books. Whenever possible, we now print our books on Domtar’s “EarthChoice® TradebookTM” paper, which is sourced from responsibly managed, independently certified forests and produced with 30% postconsumer recycled content. For every ton of this paper (approximately 1,500 books) that replaces traditionally sourced paper, we save 1 ton of wood, 4 million BTUs of energy, 620 pounds of CO2, 3,365 gallons of water, and 225 pounds of solid waste.*

In addition, we've implemented a few sustainable best-practices in our office. These include:

Lighting our office with CFLs and turning off lights when they’re not in use

Using double-sided printing

Adjusting thermostats for optimal energy savings

Providing staff members with Shambhala tote bags as a reusable alternative to plastic and paper bags

Diverting waste from landfills by recycling all applicable materials and educating employees on responsible disposal of hard-to-recycle materials

Shambhala recognizes the importance of sustainable business practices. We will continually strive to reduce our environmental impact and review our policies regularly to see how we can improve. With everything we do, we hope to raise awareness—with oneself and the world.

*Environmental impact estimates were made using the Environmental Paper Network Paper Calculator Version 3.2.1. For more information visit www.papercalculator.org.